Ashton Jeanty leads Boise State to Mountain West title, ASU’s bye chances take hit

Boise State defeated UNLV 21-7 to win the Mountain West championship on Friday, a hit to Arizona State’s chances for a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff if ASU wins the Big 12 title.

The Broncos took a 21-0 lead at halftime after Heisman-contending running back Ashton Jeanty scored on a 75-yard house call in front of the home fans in western Idaho.

Jeanty ran for 209 yards on 32 attempts, and the Broncos defense racked up six sacks and an interception. UNLV did not score until 9:06 left in the fourth quarter.

The Broncos improved to 12-1 on the season to make the case for a straight shot to a New Year’s Six bowl game and CFP quarterfinal. Boise State’s lone loss this season came to now-No. 1 Oregon 37-34, its only Power 4 matchup.

ASHTON JEANTY IS UNSTOPPABLE ⚡️@BroncoSportsFB scores a third TD before the half 😤 pic.twitter.com/2Xek565tR5

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) December 7, 2024

Boise State was ranked No. 10 in the penultimate CFP rankings, the fourth highest conference leader and five spots ahead of ASU.

The Sun Devils have to defeat Iowa State in the Big 12 championship Saturday morning for a spot in the CFP, as the Big 12 is expected to receive one bid. They were placed in the 12th slot as the fifth conference leader, projected to open the tournament on the road in the latest rankings.

The clearest path to a Sun Devils bye would have likely been a win plus a Boise State loss. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark criticized the notion a Group of Five school should receive a bye over the Big 12 champ.

Another team ranked behind ASU could secure one of the top five conference champion spots in the newly expanded CFP, as No. 17 Clemson faces No. 8 SMU for the ACC title on Saturday evening.

The committee’s selections will be revealed on Sunday.

The Sun Devils and Cyclones kick off at 10 a.m. MST Saturday morning from AT&T Stadium. Listen to play-by-play coverage on 98.7 FM, the Arizona Sports app or online, with the State of the Sun Devils pregame show starting at 7 a.m. Watch the game on ABC.

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